University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a five-year, university-affiliated orthopaedic surgery residency based at Erlanger Health, a Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, giving residents a trauma-heavy clinical diet reflected in four dedicated trauma blocks across training and a supporting one-year Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship emphasizing pelvic and periarticular fractures. The curriculum rotates residents through all core subspecialties (arthroplasty, foot/ankle, hand, oncology, pediatrics, spine, shoulder/elbow, sports, trauma) with dedicated PGY-1 Surgical Skills Training and an in-house four-station arthroscopic simulation lab, indicating a structured, procedure-focused build toward independent operative competence rather than a research-driven identity. Weekly conferences, journal club, board review courses, and chief attendance at the AAOS Annual Meeting support board-preparation and clinical mastery over investigative scholarship. The program draws residents from a wide range of U.S. and international medical schools, suggesting an emphasis on clinical readiness and fit within a busy community-academic trauma system rather than pedigree or research output.